Christmas is Quickly Approaching

Yes, I know that we are only just about to enter September but Christmas still has a way of sneaking up on us doesn't it? I for one always get caught a week, sometimes a few days, before realizing that I have forgotten something or someone on my list.

I love the Christmas season. The whole process of shopping for just the right gift for each person on my "nice list" is really fun to me. The one thing I hate (and most of you do to, I'm sure) is fighting the crowds during a big sale. It's so horrible how people will forget all about the Christmas spirit and gauge you in the eye just to get to that last video game or action figure on the shelf.

Well, last year I avoided the wonderful hospitality of my fellow shoppers (sarcasm intended) and simply shopped the biggest sale of the year online. Yes, that sale would be Black Friday. I found Wal-Mart's black friday sale items and planned my shopping accordingly. I did get up early, just not at 5 am to stand in line and fight a mob of people to get what I wanted. I leisurely sorted through online, selected my gifts, and completed my purchases all while sitting in my pj's drinking a cup of coffee. Jealous??

I plan to do the same this year too. Only this year I'm starting my planning now. Did you know that even though it's not quite September yet, many of your favorite stores already have at least partial lists available of the items they will have on their black friday sale?

I just signed up at blackfriday.biz to get email alerts of all the new ads as they come out. Everything from your circuit city ad to your wal-mart ad will be listed. I've already started making lists of what to get for my son and for other family members, and I'm going to keep an eye out for more things to be added on to the sale. Now it's just a matter of saving up the $$ for everything. HA HA!

The Kindness of Strangers

Ever since I was six years old, whenever someone said "What do you want to be when you grow up?" I always said that I wanted to own my own day care. All through high school, I geared my elective classes towards ones that would help prepare me for this. Once out of high school, I quickly enrolled in jr. college for early childhood education. While waiting for classes to start, I volunteered in a local day care center to gain experience. Well that was a huge mistake! I hated working in this place. It was nothing like what I had thought a day care would be. My childhood dream was crushed and abandoned.

Looking back on it, I think more than anything I just hated the way this particular center was run. There was little one-on-one interaction, kids were mostly plopped in front of the television to watch the same two or three videos repeatedly, or put outside with only 1-2 adults supervising 15-20 kids. I even saw one child fall and get his knees skinned up pretty badly, but was told not to take him inside to get cleaned up because I'd have to fill out an accident report. Appalling!!

It's amazing how you can come full circle in life, because now I am caring for 2 kids part time in my home. I am also not contemplating getting a license to have my very own home day care thanks to a complete stranger.

If any of you have heard of craigslist, you know it's a site post advertisements for items/services you are selling. One of the categories is childcare. This week someone had been posting information trying to warn parents about the dangers of choosing unlicensed caregivers for their kids. Now, the way this started out was not pretty. This person pretty much implied that anyone that cares for a child and does not have a license would harm or even kill that child. Are you kidding me??!! I took that very offensively. I don't see where a license matters. If you're a bad person, you're just a bad person - license or no license. This person and I had words and a few others told her what they thought of her accusations as well. She quickly changed her wording of things and said that she only wanted to encourage more home day cares to get licensed because she feels that they are better for children since they offer more one-on-one care. She said she wanted to change the way things worked in child care.

After she posted her new and improved view, I spoke with her further about her change of tune. I told her that I had looked into getting licensed but at this point could not afford the cost of certification classes, cpr training, and whatever fee is charged for the actual license. I also mentioned that I have, in fact, passed a DCF background check while trying to foster a child. I wanted her to know that I was serious and wasn't just making up excuses not to move forward.

To my amazement, this perfect stranger offered to pay 1/2 the cost of my classes. I told her that I was very grateful for her offer and would contact the
proper people to get the ball rolling and try to work out finances for
the remaining 1/2.

In a world where people will walk the other way if they see someone in serious trouble, are there really people out there who are still willing to help another human being?

Bathroom Story - Too Funny

I found this story and had to share it with all of you. This is just too cute! What's the most embarrassing moment you've had with your little talker?

A 3-year-old tells all from his mother's restroom stall.

My little guy, Cade, is quite a talker. He loves to communicate and
does it quite well. He talks to people constantly, whether we're in
the library, the grocery store or at a drive-thru window.

People often comment on how clearly he speaks for a just-turned-3-
year-old. And you never have to ask him to turn up the volume. It's
always fully cranked. There've been several embarrassing times that
I've wished the meaning of his words would have been masked by a not-
so-audible voice, but never have I wished this more than last week
at Costco.

Halfway, through our shopping trip, nature called, so I took Cade
with me into the restroom. If you'd been one of the ladies in the
restroom that evening, this is what you would have heard coming from
the second to the last stall:

"Mommy, are you gonna go potty? Oh! Why are you putting toiwet paper
on the potty, Mommy? Oh! You gonna sit down on da toiwet paper now?
Mommy, what are you doing? Mommy, are you gonna go stinkies on the
potty?"

At this point I started mentally counting how many women had been in
the bathroom when I walked in. Several stalls were full ... 4? 5?
Maybe we could wait until they all left before I had to make my
debut out of this stall and reveal my identity.

Cade continued, "Mommy, you ARE going stinkies aren't you? Oh, dats
a good girl, Mommy! Are you gonna get some candy for going stinkies
on the potty? Let me see doze stinkies, Mommy! Oh ... Mommy! I'm
trying to see in dere. Oh! I see dem. Dat is a very good girl,
Mommy. You are gonna get some candy!"

I heard a few faint chuckles coming from the stalls on either side
of me. Where is a screaming newborn when you need her? Good grief.
This was really getting embarrassing. I was definitely waiting a
long time before exiting. Trying to divert him, I said, "Why don't
you look in Mommy's purse and see if you can find some candy. We'll
both have some!"

"No, I'm trying to see doze more stinkies. Oh! Mommy!" He started to
gag at this point. "Uh oh, Mommy. I fink I'm gonna frow up. Mommy,
doze stinkies are making me frow up!! Dat is so gross!!" As the gags
became louder, so did the chuckles outside my stall. I quickly
flushed the toilet in hopes of changing the subject. I began to
reason with myself: OK. There are four other toilets. If I count
four flushes, I can be reasonably assured that those who overheard
this embarrassing monologue will be long gone.

"Mommy! Would you get off the potty, now? I want you to be done
going stinkies! Get up! Get up!" He grunted as he tried to pull me
off. Now I could hear full-blown laughter. I bent down to count the
feet outside my door.

"Oh, are you wooking under dere, Mommy? You wooking under da door?
What were you wooking at, Mommy? You wooking at the wady's feet?"
More laughter. I stood inside the locked door and tried to assess
the situation.

"Mommy, it's time to wash our hands, now. We have to go out now,
Mommy." He started pounding on the door. "Mommy, don't you want to
wash your hands? I want to go out!!"

I saw that my "wait 'em out" plan was unraveling. As I sheepishly
opened the door, and found an open sink, I thought, Where's the fine
print on the 'motherhood contract' where I signed away every bit of
my privacy?

But as my little boy gave me a big, cheeky grin while he rubbed
bubbly soap between his chubby little hands, I thought, I'd sign it
all away again, just to be known as Mommy to this little fellow.

(Written by Shannon Popkin, who is a freelance writer, and mother of
three. She lives with her family in Grand Rapids , Michigan , where
she no longer uses public restrooms.

Alzheimer's Memory Walk - Help Raise Awareness

Raising awareness about Alzheimer's disease is something that is very important to me. Many of us have been heartbroken by a loved one suffering from this disease. I know I have. To see someone we love have their personality stolen away, through no fault of their own, is difficult to say the least.

But advancements are being made in Alzheimer's research, and the Alzheimer's Memory Walk can help to do more. One weekend morning in the fall a 2-3 mile walk is held in more than 600 communities. This is the nation's largest event to raise awareness and money for Alzheimer's care, support, and research.



Have you signed up for the Memory walk in your community? We all need to get more active - exercise more. Why not walk with a purpose? Working together we can move closer to a cure for Alzheimer's disease. So go sign up today. "Together. we can MOVE a nation."

Potty Training Update

Last week I posted about the 3 day method and said I was going to try it out. Well, my son is still fighting off a cold so we decided to hold off on any heavy duty potty training for now. But, we have been taking him regularly and he's been doing so well with that that we may not have to use the 3 day. We may end up just continuing what we're doing and just add in some of their techniques. Who knows I might just come up with my very own method of potty training, write an e-book, and sell it just like Lora Jensen did.

Monday's Pop Quiz!

I just had to go with this one for the quiz today. Sesame Street is my son's favorite show. It's so fun to watch him dance and try to sing along with Elmo (he's almost 2). If only life were as simple as it seems to be on Sesame Street.

You Are Cookie Monster

Misunderstood as a primal monster, you're a true hedonist with a huge sweet tooth. You are usually feeling: Hungry. Cookies are preferred, but you'll eat anything if cookies aren't around. You are famous for: Your slightly crazy eyes and usual way of speaking How you life your life: In the moment. "Me want COOKIE!"

The Sesame Street Personality Quiz

Now There's One Way to Get a Prize.